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@uitrit gisten getint' @Hirn DAVID UPTON, OF `ROCllljls'llll, NElV YORK, AND CYRUS H. NICHOLS, OF

v BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 62,787, (lated IVIm'cL 12, 1867.

ASH-PAN AND FIRE-GRATE FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERNr.

Be it known that we, DAVID U-PTON, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe, and Stateof New York, and CYRUS H. NICHOLS, of Buffalo, in the county of Erie, and State aforesaid, have invented certain new and useful improvements in the construction of the Ash-Pan and Grates of Locomotive Engines, and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the' accompanying d drawings making part of this specication, in which- Figure 1 is a top View or plan of our improved {ire-box bottom and grate,.showing the lower portion of the ordinary re-boX of locomotive engines. I i Figure 2 is a transverse vert-ical section of the same. l Like letters indicate corresponding parts in both figures. f The heavy black arrow A indicates the direction of the travel of the engine, and the small red arrows shoitf the direction of the draught currents. I l I yThis invention relates more especially to that class of.locomotive engincs called wo0d-burners, and itsl nature consists in contractingr or reducing the area of the grate surface .about.two-thirds, more or less, by means of tight plates placed at the sides and in front and rear, and in the employment of draught-plates so arranged".T in the ash-pan as to divide the induction current of atmospheric air, causing it to pass under the contraotinglA plates at each side to the rear of the ash-pan, where the two currents are concentrated, and, returning, pass up through the' contracted gratos in the centre of the fire-box, the air being heated in its passage under the side l plates.

To enable others to make and use our invention, we will describe its construction and operation. v

Our invention is intended to be used in locomotive engines more particularly, though it may be applied with a goed effect to stationary or other engines.

We reduce the area of the lire-grate about two-thirds by placing tight plates P at each side and end ofthe fire-box bottom, leaving an open space in the centre of only about one-third or one-fourth of the area of the tire-box bottom. The grate bars B are then fitted in the open space. The draught-plates D are arranged as shown by the dotted lines D in 1, and are made to lill the space, vertically, from the ash-pan Y to the inner edge of the side contracting plates P. They may be attached to the ash-pan by angle irons or otherwise. There should be a space left at the rear end of these' division or draught-plates, between them and therear damperplate, sufficient to permit the free passage of the volume of air taken-'in at the front when that damper is wide open, the rear damper generally being kept closed,except when the'engine is being backed. Our ash-pan, as well as those o? ordinary locomotives, is provided with 'a damper at the front and rear, either or both of which may be-opened or closedJ as may be desired. l As the air current passes through the side flues C and is forced into the centre passage, or flue E, it becomes heated so as to 'eil'ect the necessary chemical combination withl the gases' to produce a perfect combustion. It is found that when the draught is established through these ues C and E a much steadier' and' more uniformcurrent is maintained than can be effected with the ordinary ash-pan and re-grate. Even when the engine is backing, the elfectis quite` as goed with this as it is with the i'ormer construction. L

We have demonstrated, by actualexperiment, that the same engine, provided with our improvements, vwill generate more steam, with a saving of a large percentage in fuel, than was possible before our invention was applied.v l

The lues C and E are always kept clear by the draught, which prevents the possibility of the escape of sparks or coals from the ash-pan, and, consequently, wholly avoids the necessity of using netting or screens over the damper-openings, as heretofore required. The liability of these screens to choke up with weeds, grass, Ste., renders their use very objectionable to engineers on account ot obstructing the draught te a serious extent.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The application of tlie draughtor flue-plates D, substantially .in` the manner and fertile purposes herein shown anddescribed. I

2. In combination with the said draught-plates l), the contracting plates l), and grntes B, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Witnesses:

WM. S. Louennononen, l P. T. TURNER.

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